Tractor.



J. PITTNGS.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION MLED 111118, 191s Patented Mar. 2, 1111:' 4

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TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED APILB, 191s,

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

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NITED sTATEs PATENT onirica.

JOHN FITTINGS, OF ANTLER, NORTH-DAKOTA.

TRACTOR.

Application iled April 8, 1913.

-to provide a tractor with easily applied speedchangin means. These andother objects Ifattain y the no el construction and arrangements ofparts i lustrated in the ac companying drawings in which Figure 1 is apartly sectional top or plan i view of a tractor or traction engineadapted to be'run by any suitable motor and for c that reason the engineor other motor is simply represented by a crank shaft. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the tractor shown in Fig. 1 with a few gears and otherparts omitted because fully shown in other views. Fig. 3 is an inneredge view of an enlarged portion of one of the endless self laid tracksin the most complete form. Fig. 4 is one of the links or sections shownin Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale and with the calk in central section.vFig. 5 is a side view of the gear wheel 57 in Figs. 1 and 2 on anenlarged scale showing the bevel pinions mounted in it and projectingfrom both sides thereof.

Referring ito the drawings by reference i numerals, 1 designates themain traction .3 for hitching thereto separators, self are supportedframe having a rear cross bar 2 with holes binders, mowers, plows, &c.,to be drawn. Said frame is mounted on shafts 4 fixed in drums 5 andhaving their ends, journaled in bearing 6 on the frame, and stretchedover the drums are endless broad link-belts 7, constituting endlessself-laid tracks for the drums to roll on, as will presently be morefully described. The front end of the frame iS provided with afifth-wheel 8 at the center of which is pivoted by a king-bolt 9 toswing in horizontal plane an axle 10, whose ends by steering wheels 11having peripheral ribs 12 to prevent -lateral skidding of the wheels onthe ground. Rearward of the axle 10 is journaled in the frame a shaft13, upon which is partly wound the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

serial No. 759,807.

middle portion of a chain 14, which may be secured to the shaft by astaple or other means 15, and has its ends secured to the steering axle10, one near each end thereof. At one end of the shaft 13 is fixed abevel gear 16, which meshes with a bevel pinion 17, the latter pinion isfixed on a longitudinal shaftlS having at its rear end a hand wheel 19which may have a crank handle 20 Aby which a shaft is turned and thetractor steered when in motion. Turnin again to the traction mechanism,the cran( shaft 21 represents a rotary shaft of an engine or other motormounted upon a platform 22 and may be inclosed in a housing 23 (shown inFig. 2). On said driving shaft 21 is fixed a fiywheel 24 having frictionclutch members 25 operated by a conical clutch head 26, which slides onthe shaft and is controlled by a shifting lever 27, which may be throwninto either one of two notches in a rib 28 fixed on the frame. Saidclutch head has two keys slidable in a cog wheel 30 which is fixed to alarger cog wheel 31, both of which are normally rotatable but notslidable on the shaft.

Rearward and downward of the motor shaft 21 is journaled in the frame ashaft 32, having a long key 32X. On this shaft and key is slidablymounted a sleeve 33 having a peripheral groove engaged by a shifterfork34, which is controlled by va rod 35 and a hand lever 36, the latterarranged for engagement alternately in two notches 37 of a fixed bracket38, which is fixed upon the rear platform 39 or any other suitable partof the main frame. To one end of the sleeve 33 is fixed a cog wheel 30xadapted to mesh with the cog wheel 30 when the tractor is to moveslowly, and at the other end of the sleeve is fixed a cog wheel 31Ladapted to mesh with the wheel 31 when the tractor is to more at ahigher speed without changing the speed of the motor shaft. Upon theshaft 32 and its key is also slidably mounted a cog wheel 40 having aperipherically grooved hub 41 engaged by ashifter 42, the latter iscontrolled by a rod 44 and a hand lever 52, said rod 44 having the loweredge of its rear end portion provided with two shallow notches 45 and46, the latter notch however having its front edge extended notches 5"i, i r the hand lever 52 to engage; sai f. and-lever being pirotallysecured at j nd provided with a stud arranged for engagement with thenotch.

The cog wheel fl@ normally meshes with an idler 55, which is mounted ona shaft 56 and meshes with a differential gear 57 {hest shown in Fig. 5)by which the traction wheels and tracks are operated when the tractor ismoving forward; hut in order to reverse its movement the following meansare employed.

Pivotally mounted to swing on a horizontal axis on a post 58 is a yoke5S) in which is journaled a pinion 60, whose .tace is as wide as thefeces of the two ears 40 and 55 to gether, so as to engage oth of themWhen gear 4G is slid out of mesh with gear 55. Said yoke 59 and itspinion are normally suspended by two links 6l, G2 and :i post G3 oli theframe (liest shown in Fig. 2). Said links form a kneesioint l'S-lwhichby a rod 65 connected with the lever 52.

From the description just given it will he inideretood that while themotor is running a given sneed the speed of the tractor on 'the groundmay he increased by throwing the lever the rear notch 37, and when saidlerer. is in the front notch the tractor will travel slower and pallmore powerfully. And that when the tractor is to he reversed theoperator in throwing the lever from the lull position to the dotted lineposition shown in Fig. the first part ol the stroke of the lever cau". srod -/l/l to slide the gear 40 out of mesh with gear 55 while the rodleuses hat a partial lowering of the pinion 5i 7 the lever is swungfarther rearward shoulder 7 of the rod engages the pin il and enablesthe lever to force thc stud 54Y out of the notch e5 and permit the rodll to drop suilicicntly to have its notch e6 f aged y the v:1d 48,.vlierehy the gears ar nel/l out of mesh while the further rear zvardsafingin'r oi' the lever .'32 causes the pinion Bil to into mesh withthe i wherrliy the tractor isrereve sing llic engine or moiorwardmovement ot the tracA desired the .li-.ver is swung l notch to 5l).'During such lever the pin 5l rentci's i 'lo while rod (35 raises thizpinion l() out oi' mesh, and hy further inolion ol the lever the rod 4lrestores the gear l0 into mesh with gear 5.3, so that when the motor isrunning, .i single forward stroke oi' the lever the machine to moreforward and a single rea rward morcinent ol" the saine single levercauses tlu` machine to more rearward.

(ln o. closer consideration ot' the traction mechanism aclaal'rd hy thedilerential gear 57, it will he noted that said gear Si', which mightwell he termed the equalizing gear. is rotatalily imfiw'teil on a shaftliti and is pro vided with several apertures 67, (see Fig. 5) in whichare mounted bevel pinions 68 meshing with two bevel gears 69, which arealso mounted to rotate on the shaft and are each provided with a gearpinion 70 meshing with one of the gear wheels 7l. The mecha nisin drivenby each of the bevel gears 69 heilig alike in both sides of the machine,the following description of one side Will answer for ooth sides: Thegear Wheel 71 is fixed on the inner end of a shaft 72, which isjournalcd in hearings 73 and has affixed to it a wheel 74. having aperipheral groove With rollers 75 mounted therein and arranged to engagethe teeth of two sprocket Wheels 76, which are fixed upon the shafts 4of the drums or broad-faced wheels 5. Said wheels 76 also engageantifriction rollers 77 which rotate upon the pivot rods 78 of thc trackchains 7. Said track chain is preferably cornposed of two parallelhalves, (as best shown in the upper part of Fig. 1) leaving anintermediate space 79 traversed by said pivot rods and occupied by therollers 77 on same. The track chains may possibly be used in this simpleform with or without calks 80 fixed on them, but l prefer to cover thejoint of the link belt track hy external shielding plates 8l., securedby bolts S2 and having curved portions Slx overlapping each other at thcjoints of the track. Said curves of the plates will not only excludesand and dirt from the joints but will also act as calks Vfor takinghold of the ground. Still I provide further calks 80", (see Figs. 3 and4) which a re peferahly secured to the plate 8l hy holts 83 passedthrough the link and the plate and having its nut 84 housed in a cavityS5 of the calli' so as not to get damaged or turned by contact with theground. Of coarse when this arrangement is used the calks 80 are omittedfrom the links of the track. though they may he used as calks 80X hyusing slightly longer securing holts. Thus the plates 8l may be regardedas attachments to the endless track. ln the upper part of lfig. l threeof the plates 8l are removed to expose the ifi-:ick chain and two of therollers 7T in. saine.

From the main frame depend frame plates S7 in which are journalod theends of transverse rollers 88, which assist in keeping the lower runot'ithc track chain straight and thus in more a'ctire contact with theground. '.lo said plates S7 and to the frame are secured shieldingplates 8*.) fitting closely to the edges of the track chain so as toexclude dirt from it and its driving mechanism. 'lhe upper portion 90ot' said plates S9 are hinged :it 91 to form doors which are held closedhy catches irl. of which one is shown in Fig. 2. Said doors are to giveaccess to lho interior of each traction mechanism for endless track atone side of the machine will, of course, travel slower than the track atthe other eid@ seid difference in motion is equalized by the pinions 68,so that while the gear 57 carrying said pinions rotates at an averagespeed of the two bevel gears 69, the latter two may rotate at anyrequired difference of s eed.

What claim is In a tractor, a frame, traction wheels supporting theframe and arranged one air at each side of themframe, endless se f la-idbroad link tracks stretched one about each pair of wheels and havingoperative comme tion therewith and shielding plates carried by the frameand fitting snugly to the edges" of the endless tracks the upper portionof Said plates being of door-like character to give access to theinterior of the traction mechanism.

In testimon whereof l al'x my signature, in presence o two witnesses.

JOHN FITTINGS. Witnesses:

F. WV. GAFFNEY, F. A. RINKEL.

